"Go home; I suppose," replied Alfred.
"Unless they have a base somewhere on the coast," replied the captain.
"Where is the most likely place for such a base?" asked Ralph.
"That is the enigma, of course. It has been believed that the Germans have a base somewhere along the northern coast of Spain," said the captain.
"What are the reasons for thinking so?" asked Alfred.
"One of them is that some of the Spaniards are said to be more or less friendly to the Germans, and, furthermore, there are few ports or harbors on the north coast, hence the shipping to Spain in the southern waters of the Bay of Biscay is very small, a condition which would help to keep a base along the coast line at one or more points."
"But we ought to know in the next day or two whether they have such a base," said Ralph.
"Yes; it will be the opportunity now for us to make some observation which will tell us whether we are going to Germany, or not," said the captain with a grin.
Situated, as they were, below decks, with no instruments but the direction indicator, and the inclinometer in sight, it was impossible to judge of the direction they were going, for it was evident that the submarine was now moving ahead at full speed.
"It will be, probably, twenty-four hours before we are able to get any information as to our destination," said the captain.